News

Roswell Inc’s Economic Development Report

by Steve Stroud

On January 25, 2019, we hosted our annual State of the City event at The Country Club of Roswell. More than 300 business, civic, and elected leaders from both Roswell and around the region attended to hear an update on economic development in Roswell, a look back at 2018, and a preview of what’s to come in 2019. Roswell Mayor Lori Henry also gave a State of the City address regarding city business.

Key highlights from our presentation included an overview of our success in economic and business development from 2018, which included:

We are excited to announce the release of our 2018 Annual Report, which provides an overview of the work and impact that our organization has on the community.

“This year’s report is filled with success stories of the work we’ve done together to help foster a robust and healthy economic climate in Roswell,” said Steve Stroud, executive director of Roswell Inc. “We are proud to share this report with the community and look forward to another year ahead.”

Curious as to what’s happening in the Roswell Village Shopping Center at the corner of Alpharetta Highway and Holcomb Bridge Road? Owned by Sterling Organization, the shopping center has been undergoing a major redevelopment and revitalization of the 149,261-square-foot center since construction began in April 2018.

Sterling has also announced six confirmed tenants for the center, including Ross Dress for Less, Marshall’s, Crunch Fitness, Lush Nails, Goldfish Swim School, and Phenix Salon Suites, which will locate in Roswell Village once construction is complete. Thirteen tenants, including the six publicly announced businesses listed here, have secured spaces in the development to date. Twelve additional spaces currently remain available. Construction is expected to finish in summer 2019.

According to Sterling, the shopping center sees a traffic count of 95,000 cars a day since it faces two major highways. With a new look and new retailers, including three large anchor stores, the revamped center is set to once again become one of the most sought-after destination shopping areas in our community.

The Roswell Inc team has continued to be a resource to Sterling throughout the development of this project, and has specifically helped with the recruitment of multiple tenants, the approval of shopping center signage, and navigating city hall to receive a land disturbance permit.

So, where do these hotel projects currently stand since the news broke for each? We’d like to provide you with a quick project update for all four hotels.

Home 2 Suites and Springhill Suites, which are both located off Westside Parkway, broke ground in 2018 and are projected to finish construction by late 2019, early 2020. Combined, these two projects will bring 196 rooms to the city for business travelers.

Element by Westin, located between Home 2 Suites and Springhill Suites, has received its land disturbance permit (LPD) and will break ground by the end of 2018. Element will have 91 rooms, an outdoor pool, restaurant, full-service bar, and a 250+ capacity meeting space.

Once complete, these three business class hotels will bring an estimated 150+ new jobs and approximately $39 million in capital investment to Roswell, along with an estimated $598,000+ in annual revenue generation for the city.

Canton Place Development’s Boutique Hotel and mixed-use development, which is planned to open in Roswell’s Historic District, will include 125 rooms and a variety of unique, curated retail and restaurant space. This $88.2 million project is hoping to break ground by the end of 2018, with plans to be completed by the end of 2020. (This paragraph has been updated since it was originally published to reflect the correct number of hotel rooms as 125, not 192 as originally posted.)

Springhill Suites Site

Home2Suites Site

These project announcements have come within a year of the key findings we released from our hotel feasibility study in the spring of 2017, which was conducted by Atlanta-based hospitality research firm The Highland Group. The study indicated a strong demand for business class hotel options in Roswell, and this data has had a significant impact on Roswell’s recent growth in hotel presence, as it has helped our organization work with and secure each hotelier. Learn more about the study here.

Small Business Saturday is November 24, and our team encourages everyone to shop small this upcoming holiday season. In Roswell, small businesses comprise approximately 80% of our economy, and supporting Roswell’s small business owners brings variety to the market, which is vital for the city’s economic sustainability.

Making the choice to shop small helps create a balance between large and local brands. Supporting small businesses can be accomplished in different ways and includes everything from treating your loved ones to a dining experience at a unique Roswell restaurant to picking up matchless gifts from a local store.

As the holidays approach, break the routine, bypass the long lines and crowded malls, and search for gifts among the many small businesses that call Roswell home.

For more information on Small Business Saturday, which is an initiative of the Small Business Association and American Express, click here.

Earlier in 2018, we announced that Brixmor Property Group, one of country’s largest commercial retail leasing providers, relocated its regional office from Alpharetta to Roswell, bringing 50 jobs to the city.

Brixmor owns the retail center Holcomb Bridge Crossing. The company rightsized the center’s anchor, PGA TOUR Superstore, and converted 12,000 square feet of the property into office space for Brixmor’s new regional office.

In September, we celebrated Brixmor’s new space with a ribbon cutting. We’re excited to welcome Brixmor as a new corporate citizen and are honored to have been part of helping them andPGA TOUR Superstore collaborate to repurpose and utilize the big box retail space.

A new music venue, Gypsy Rose Music, will soon be coming to Roswell’s historic district. Located at 964 Alpharetta Street, in the building previously occupied by Classy Clutter, the eclectic music hall will host a variety of curated, original, live music and private events.

Founder and local resident, Brittany Crooms, is opening the music hall out of a passion for merging music, entertainment, and community. After relocating to Roswell almost a year ago, Brittany felt inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit and drive that Roswell business owners are known for, and through that, the idea for Gypsy Rose was conceived.

“As a community loving resident and passionate music lover, I began to crave somewhere where these two things collide,” said Brittany Crooms. “The more I talked to people, the more others seemed to want somewhere devoted to original live music with a vision similar to mine.”

“Roswell is regionally known for our strong hospitality industry, and with the recent growth of this sector, there’s been a growing need for live entertainment and event spaces,” said Steve Stroud executive director of Roswell Inc. “Gypsy Rose is satisfying two major markets while bringing a new dynamic to our popular Historic District.”

Gypsy Rose plans to be open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, host food trucks, and serve a selection of local and craft beers and cocktails to venue patrons. In addition to hosting music, Gypsy Rose plans to have live band karaoke and themed parties for patrons.

Crooms will serve as Gypsy Rose’s venue manager. She has secured a sales and marketing director, booking agent/sound engineer, beverage manager, and plans to hire seven to eight bartenders and four cocktail servers.

McKesson Corporation, a global leader in healthcare supply chain management solutions, retail pharmacy, and healthcare information technology, will be moving its Atlanta Hub to Roswell, Georgia in 2019. This move will relocate existing employees from the company’s current office in Alpharetta bringing more than 500 high-quality jobs to the city of Roswell, with an anticipated move-in date in the summer of 2019.

With this move, McKesson will become a Top 5 company in Roswell by number of employees. The company has signed a 10-year lease for 104,000 square feet in the Stonebridge I building of Sanctuary Park, located at 1110 Sanctuary Parkway, which is the portion of the office park within Roswell city limits.

“Adding this caliber of corporate citizen to our city, along with this many high-quality jobs, is incredibly significant for the economic health and prosperity of our community, and we are honored to have partnered with McKesson and all those involved to make this happen,” said Steve Stroud, executive director of Roswell Inc. “This is also a big win for Georgia, as this relocation keeps these jobs here in the state.”

“We are excited to join a community that reflects our focus on employee well-being, sustainability and innovation. The Sanctuary Park campus offers our employees access to jogging trails, fitness facilities and other important amenities,” said Perry Guinn, vice president, Global Real Estate, McKesson Corporation. “Our new space will feature an open floorplan and technology-enhanced meeting rooms to help connect our employees in new ways and foster a collaborative atmosphere.”

Major factors in the decision to relocate to Roswell include location, availability of space, and quality of life. This location is also in Roswell’s Opportunity Zone, an area of the city designated as part of the state incentive program that provides tax credits for net new jobs created within the State of Georgia.

“I am excited to welcome McKesson to the City of Roswell,” said Roswell Mayor Lori Henry. “I look forward to a long, prosperous partnership.”